Age ain’t nothing however a quantity to Brandon Moss. This week, the 18-year-old introduced his run for mayor of Fairfield, Alabama. Simply two weeks after strolling throughout the stage to obtain his highschool diploma, Moss is making historical past as the town’s youngest mayoral candidate.
“I’m able to tackle this problem. Age doesn’t assure knowledge or innovation,” Moss advised ABC Information. “I’m not going to say I’m excellent or I do know all of it; it is going to take a group of excellent folks to have the ability to accomplish good issues.”
Motivated by his love for the town, Moss is constructing his marketing campaign whereas concurrently getting ready to attend the College of Alabama at Birmingham this fall. Fairfield, positioned southwest of Birmingham, holds a inhabitants of roughly 9,500 folks.
“The previous administrations and the folks which can be working have performed an ideal job in Fairfield, however I believe it’s time that we search for one thing new,” he mentioned.
Noticing a “greater want” in Fairfield’s enterprise sector, Moss says if elected his focus will probably be on the town’s funds. With plans to herald a forensic auditor to watch the town’s spending, he additionally hopes to present native small companies “an opportunity to be seen” by means of pop-up occasions.
Moss additionally hopes to create “a greater way of life” for the Fairfield group, with one of many essential points being blight. Blight or “blighted properties” refers to vacant, usually residential, properties which have turn into overgrown with vegetation and deteriorated to the purpose of being unsafe and unsanitary to the group. To deal with this difficulty, Moss plans to work with the federal authorities to obtain grants to assist take away these properties from, the group.
“I like this metropolis, and I consider in its future,” Moss shared.
Having all the time been within the interior workings of politics, Moss cites former President Barack Obama and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin as his political position fashions. At simply 18, the mayoral candidate has expertise working as an government intern for the superintendent’s workplace, a youth senator within the Alabama Youth and Authorities program, and on the Pupil Advisory Board for the superintendent of Birmingham Metropolis Faculties. He’s additionally a graduate of the Birmingham Academy of Civic Engagement, a city-wide management initiative.
“Working in a state with completely different politicians, I’ve gotten a hands-on perspective of management,” he advised WPLG Native 10.
His marketing campaign supervisor, Marilyn Yelder, defined Moss has “a group of mentors for each side, not simply to assist him get to mayor, however folks which can be serving to with public talking, psychological well being.”
“I believe he will probably be greater than ready, even at 18, to tackle the position as mayor of Fairfield,” Yelder added.
Moss seems to have already obtained the assist of Legal professional Ben Crump, who wrote on Instagram: “Brandon’s marketing campaign is a daring reminder that younger Black voices, regardless of the age, belong in each room the place choices are made […] Age doesn’t outline management — imaginative and prescient does.”
Working in opposition to Councilman Herman Carnes, Councilman Cedric Norman, former Midfield Councilman and Fairfield native James Reasor and monetary guide Michael Williams, Moss is ready for no matter end result is introduced on Aug 26. If elected, he says he’s ready to “do the job and see the place it takes me,” and if votes don’t go in his favor, he nonetheless plans to pursue his political goals and work in a political workplace.
